‘Dota 2’ Spring Cleaning Update: New Profile, Improvements & Bug Fixes Explained

Valve has announced a new update for its free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena video game “Dota 2.” Called “Spring Cleaning 2018,” the update is said to come with a handful of changes and a slew of bug fixes as well as various gameplay improvements.

Redesigned Player Profile

The first thing that Valve highlighted in its release notes for the “Dota 2” update is the redesigned player Profile. The developer has apparently upgraded the Profile to include commonly requested features and some new features. “Check out your latest match performance, show off the uniquely combined cosmetics you’ve chosen for your favorite heroes and personalize your profile by choosing any background from the catalog of loading screens you own,” Valve said while describing the Profile changes.

New Hero Changelog Notifications

Valve has also made changes to the Changelog Notifications. The redesign now lets players easily view which heroes have updates just by looking at the top-bar portrait of a selected hero on the drafting screen. By hovering over the icon, the changes that were made since the last time the player checked will be displayed. The redesign also adds a section in the Learn tab that shows the full changelog. Moreover, players can now hover over an ability or item tooltip during a game to see the changes that were made to them.

New Learn Tab Tool

Spring Cleaning 2018 also introduces a new tool in the Learn tab. This tool is called Last Hit Trainer. “Make the most of every creep and push your GPM to the next level with the Last Hit Trainer … You can take the time to practice this vital mechanic anytime you want — even while queuing for a game,” Valve explained.

6-Month Matchmaking Bans

Valve has also decided to implement a form of punishment alongside the latest update to “Dota 2.” From now on, players who are displaying an extreme frequency of negative behavior will receive a 6-month matchmaking ban. Negative behavior that are targeted by this punishment include feeding, abandoning and player abuse.

User Interface Changes

The latest major update also improves the user interface of the game. For example, hero loadout pages now show what scepter upgrades a hero has. Additionally, ability icons now show a progress overlay for cast points when the button is pressed. Moreover, skills can now be leveled up during a pause.

Bug Fixes

In terms of fixes for bugs, Valve has also ensured that the new “Dota 2” update addresses several issues that are plaguing the gameplay. The bug that was causing the Elder Titan Echo Stomp damage threshold to not work properly has been crushed. The visual bug that disrupts players when they try to place a ward has also been eliminated.

Check out the detailed release notes for “Dota 2” Spring Cleaning 2018 update here.

Meanwhile, lead developer IceFrog also announced via social media that fans can expect more updates to come. In fact, they have scheduled the new “Dota 2” updates to be rolled out bi-weekly. “We want to try taking a different approach to how gameplay patches are released. Instead of big patches a couple of times a year, we’ll be releasing small patches every 2 weeks on Thursdays. We’ll be trying this out for about six months and then reevaluating,” IceFrog wrote on Twitter.